Cartridge stop means for externally powered automatic guns



7, 1957 c. E. LA FEVER ETAL 3,302,524

CARTRIDGE STOP MEANS FOR EXTERNALLY POWERED AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Oct. 12, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1' LL-Ep g INVENTORS CliffurflEluFaveT I /W M, aw}- ATTORN EY$ 1967 c. E. LA FEVER ETAL 3,302,524

CARTRIDGE STOP MEANS FOR EXTERNALLY POWERED AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Oct. 12. 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jerome De a B g TUM Z ,2

ATTcSRNEYs Feb. 7, 1967 c. E. LA FEVER ETAL 3,302,524

CARTRIDGE STOP MEANS FOR EXTERNALLY POWERED AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Oct. 12, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS E1iEFu'nH. ELImFever Jerome Deju.

ATTOIIQNEYS 1967 c. E. LA FEVER ETAL 3,302,524

CARTRIDGE STOP MEANS FOR EXTERNALLY POWERED AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Oct. 12, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Je'nume Ila ATTORN EYS United States Patent CARTRIDGE STOP MEANS FOR EXTERNALLY PGWERED AUTOMATIC GUNS Clifford E. La Fever, Livonia, and Jerome Deja, Dearborn Heights, Mich, assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Oct. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 495,358

7 Claims. (CI. 89-33) This invention relates to automatic guns in which the barrel is actuated forwardly to open the breech and is returned to the battery position thereof to chamber the leading cartridge in a flexibly linked belt. It is more par ticularly directed to improved means for stopping the leading cartdige in the belt in chambering alignment with the barrel.

In automatic guns which are operated by an externally powered, variable-speed motor, it is essential that the ammunition be fed into firing position in positive synchronization with the opening and closing of the breech. This requirement has been satisfactorily achieved in certain guns of recent military design by the inclusion of a cylindrical drum operatively connected to the motor and provided with individual cam tracks for cycling the barrel and the feeding mechanism. In this arrangement, rotation of the drum reciprocates the barrel to open and close the breech and at the same time actuates a feed lever to advance the leading cartridge in the belt into a transverse feedway in the receiver during the interval in which the barrel is out of battery position at a distance in excess of the length of a cartridge.

It is, therefore, apparent that the customary means for guiding each cartridge of the belt into position to be stopped in chambering alignment with the barrel must be located in the feedway portion of the receiver in an area which lies outside of the reciprocal path of the barrel. Furthermore, the placement of the particular means for stopping the feeding travel of the leading cartridge in the feedway is also complicated by the necessity for avoiding any subsequent interference with the ejection of the fired cartridge cases from the exit end of the feedway in the receiver. In view of these limitations, considerable difficulty has been encountered in provid ing mechanism which will effectively stop the feeding advance of the leading cartridge in proper alignment with the bore of the barrel regardless of the particular rate at which the gun is being fired.

The current means for stopping the leading cartridge in chambering alignment with the barrel consists of a pair of spring-biased fingers located in a relatively narrow channel formed in the floor of the feedway to guide the cartridges therethrough. The fingers are spaced apart at a distance which permits the incoming cartridge to ride over the first and be halted by the second at the conclusion of the feeding travel imparted thereto by the feed lever. The second finger is also arranged to be similarly over-ridden by the fired cartridge case during the ejection movement imparted thereto by the feeding advance of the next cartridge in the belt.

While the function of these cartridge-positioning fingers is generally satisfactory when the gun is being operated from a relatively large and rigid mount, such is not the case under the soft mounting conditions customarily encountered in light aircraft and helicopters. For one thing, it has been found that the vibrations to which these aircraft guns are subjected during firing are frequently of sufficient magnitude to overcome the bias of the flat springs utilized to urge the cartridge-positioning fingers upwardly in the cartridge feedway. Furthermore, as the firing rate of the gun reaches the upper limits thereof, the inertia imparted to the cartridge belt by the feed Cir 3,3Z,5Z4i

Patented Feb. 7, 1967 stroke of the feed lever frequently exceeds the ability of the flat springs to retain the fingers in position to prevent premature depression thereof and consequent overfeeding of the leading cartridge in the belt. Thus, in the event the bias of these springs is substantially reduced or nullified during the critical feeding interval immedi ately prior to the beginning of the chambering travel of the barrel, the resulting lack of adequate restraint on the cartridge being chambered could permit sufficient misalignment between such cartridge and the barrel to cause severe damage to the cartridge, or, in some instances, could produce an extremely dangerous feeding jam.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide improved means for halting the feeding advance of the leading cartridge in a linked belt along the feedway of an externally powered gun in which the return of the barrel to battery position is utilized to chamber the halted cartridge.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for halting a cartridge belt as aforesaid which will not be adversely affected by the vibration to which the gun is subjected when mounted for use in light aircraft.

A final object of this invention is to provide cartridge halting means as aforesaid which will be automatically inactivated while the leading cartridge is being chambered in order to permit the subsequent ejection thereof from the feedway after firing has taken place.

It has been found that these objects can best be achieved by replacing the conventional cartridge stopping finger in the feedway with a stop member slidably mounted in a longitudinal housing fixedly provided on the side of the receiver adjacent the exit end of the transverse feedway therein. A substantially rectangular pawl is hinged to the front end of the stop member to extend the contact surface thereof with the leading cartridge in the belt and is normally retained in the extended position thereof by the forward bias of a spring-operated plunger extending through the stop member. The rearward movement imparted to the link on the leading cartridge during the chambering travel of the barrel is utilized to force the stop member to the rear until the pawl is the only portion thereof which will still be in the ejection path of the fired cartridge case. The pawl is thus free to be pivoted outwardly by the tired cartridge case during the ejection thereof from the cartridge feedway in the receiver. During the pivotal movement imparted to the pawl, the spring operated plunger in the stop member is compressed and thereby provides the bias necessary to return the stop member to the forward position in which the next leading cartridge in the belt will be halted thereby in chambering alignment with the barrel.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings which are for the purpose of ilustration only and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the entrance end of a cartridge belt feedway in an externally powered gun of the type in which each cartridge in a flexibly linked belt is successively chambered by the return of the barrel to battery position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 in FIG. 1 to show the cartridge stop member in position to be inactivated by the rearward travel of the link on the leading cartridge;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2 to show the position of the cartridge stop member as seen looking toward the exit end of the cartridge feedy;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 in FIG. 3 to show the configuration of the cartridge stop Z3 member and the pawl hinged thereto in the cartridge stopping positions thereof;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the cartridge stop member in the rearward position imparted thereto at the conclusion of the chambering movement of the barrel;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 but showing the cartridge stop member with the hinged pawl at the front end thereof pivoted out of the ejection path of the fired cartridge case; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded view in perspective of the cartridge stop assembly.

As shown in the drawings and more fully explained in U.S. Patents Nos. 3,181,423 and 3,182,555, the gun in which the present invention is incorporated is provided with a receiver '12 having a forwardly opening bore 14 therein for slidably receiving the breech end portion of a barrel 16. A drum 18 is rotatably mounted between a pair of spaced supports 28 extending upwardly from receiver 12 and is adapted to be driven by a variable speed electric motor 22 suitably mounted to the rear drum support. The exterior periphery of drum 18 is formed with a continuous cam track 24 for slidably receiving a fol-lower 26 projecting upwardly from a rectangular housing 28 extending longitudinally along the breech end of barrel 16. Thus, whenever drum 18 is rotated by motor 22, barrel 16 is longitudinally reciprocated to open and close the breech. A second cam track (not shown) is provided in the rear face of drum 18 for imparting transverse reciprocation to a feed lever 31) having a pawl 32 pivotally mounted to the free end thereof. The relationship between the two cam tracks in drum 18 is such that whenever the breech is open in excess of the length of a cartridge, feed lever 30 is being actuated to advance the leading cartridge 34 in a flexibly linked belt into a feedway 36 extending transversely through receiver 12.

Feedway 36 is longitudinally positioned in receiver 12 so that the rear endwall thereof is located slightly beyond the breech end of barrel 16 at the end of the rearward stroke thereof to provide access for the annular rim 38 at the base of each cartridge 34. A cartridge guiding channel 40 is formed in the floor of feedway 36 adjacent the rear endwall thereof and is of sufficient width to slidably receive a portion of each cartridge case rim 38 upon entry thereof into feedway 36.

A cartridge-positioning finger 41 extends upwardly through the floor of feedway 36 to normally project from channel 41) into the feed path of cartridge rim 38 and, as best shown in FIG. 2, is resiliently supported in this posi tion by the free end of a flat spring 42 suitably secured at the opposite end thereof to the underside of receiver 12. The entrance end of feedway 36 is straddled by a pair of vertical grooves 43, as best shown in FIG. .2, to provide for the releasable attachment thereto of a feed tray 44 which serves to support the cartridge belt for proper entry thereof into feedway 36. The roof of feed tray 44 is rectangularly cut away as indicated at 4-6 to provide for the passage of feed pawl 32 during the feed stroke thereof. A spring-biased pawl 48 is pivotally mounted in the floor of feed tray 44 to prevent retrograde movement of the cart-ridge belt while feed lever 30 is being returned into position to engage with the next cartridge to be chambered by barrel 16.

Each cartridge 34 in the belt is encircled by a link 50 formed with an outwardly projecting arcuate ear 52 on one side thereof and a diametrically opposed rectangular car 54 projecting similarly from the opposite side thereof. When car 52 on one link is coupled to car 54 on another link by a unitary connector 56 therebetween, the linked cartridges 34 are flexibly joined in a manner which, if repeated, will form a continuous belt adapted to follow the tortuous path generally taken by the chuting utilized in aircraft installations. Inasmuch as one end of each connector 56 is releasably engaged in a rearwardly opening keyhole-shaped slot 58 in the rectangular car 54 of each link 56, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, the particular link 58 on the cartridge being chambered by barrel 16 will be forced rearwardly thereby to disconnect from the link on the cartridge adjacent thereto.

It has been found that this rearward movement of link 51) along cartridge 34 can be utilized to inactivate a cartridge stop 66 which extends into feedway 36 in order to halt the leading cartridge 34 in the linked belt in chambering alignment with barrel 16. Such inactivation of cartridge stop 60 permits subsequent ejection of the fired cartridge from the exit end of feedway 36.

Accordingly, as best shown in FIG. 7, a substantially rectangular housing 62 is suitably secured to the side of receiver 12 so as to extend rearwardly from the rear endwall of feedway 36 substantially midway of the vertical height thereof. Housing 62 is centrally bifurcated along the longitudinal axis thereof to form an open interior 64 which is laterally extended into receiver 12 to include a vertical T-slot 66 therein for slidably receiving corresponding T-rails 68 projecting from the top and bottom of cartridge stop 60 at the inwardly facing side thereof. As indicated at 70, interior 64 of housing 62 is additionally extended into receiver 12 to accommodate a laterally projecting cartridge stop surface 72 located at the front end of a head portion 74 which projects forwardly and inwardly of T-rails 68. The outer side of head portion 74 opposite stop surface 72 is angularly inclined as shown at 76. Rearwardly of head portion 74, cartridge stop 60 is provided with a vertical rectangular slot 78 on the side opposite T-rails 68 to form abutment surfaces 80 adapted to cooperate with a fixed pin 82 extending vertically through housing 62 for limiting movement of cartridge stop 60 in either direction. In addition, cartridge stop 60 is provided with an axial hole 84 extending longitudinally therethrough for the slidable reception of a cylindrical plunger 86 terminating in a semi-circular .front end 88. Substantially midway therealong, the diameter of plunger 86 is reduced to form a rearwardly facing annular shoulder 90 and a trailing stem portion 92. A coil spring 94 surrounds stem portion 9'2 and is seated between annular shoulder 98 and a circular recess 96 provided in the rear endwall of housing interior 64 to normally urge plunger 86 forwardly.

A substantially rectangular pawl 100 is pivotally secured to the forward end of head portion 74 on cartridge stop 60 by a hinge pin 102 and is provided with a bifurcated portion 104 forming a pair of spaced shoulders 166 adapted to straddle the forward end of cartridge stop head portion '74. Hinge pin 102 is rotatably disposed in head portion 74 with the opposite ends of such pin projecting therefrom into fixed engagement with pawl shoulders 166, as by staking or other suitable expedient. The surface of pawl 180 between shoulders 106 is inclined, as indicated at 108, at an acute angle which is complementary to the inclination of the outer side 76 of cartridge stop head portion 74. In addition, the longer side of pawl 180 which extends into feedway 36 is provided with a vertical face 98 terminating in a substantially triangular ridge 110. Thus, pawl 100 is free to pivot substantially 90 from a position wherein face 98 thereof is coextensive with cartridge stop surface 72, as best shown in FIG. 5, to a position wherein inclined surfaces 76 and 108 are contiguous and the front end of pawl 16f) is disposed outwardly of feedway 36 as best shown in FIG. 6. As a result, ridge 110 is moved out of contact with the rear edge of link 50 to a position in the path of rim 38 on cartridge 34 for a purpose to be explained.

As the leading cartridge 34 in the linked belt is advanced along feedway 36 by the feed stroke of feed pawl 32, rim 38 on cartridge 34 is guided by channel 40 into contact with finger 41 which is thereby depressed against the bias of fiat spring 42 as the cartridge continues to be fed to the chambering position thereof. Consequently, as soon as the midpoint of cartridge 34 has passed over the top of finger 41, the energy stored in spring 42 will assist in continuing the feeding advance of such cartridge inasmuch as the feed stroke of feed lever is arranged to end slightly prior to the positive halting of the leading cartridge 34. However, the primary function of finger 41 is to prevent any retrograde movement of the leading cartridge 34 once the feeding advance thereof has been halted and finger 41 is therefore arcuately contoured as indicated at 112 in FIG. 7 to conform to the periphery of cartridge 34. Y

The feeding advance of the leading cartridge 34 is positively terminated, as best illustrated in FIG. 4, when rim 38 thereon moves into contact with surface 72 on cartridge stop 60. In this position, the body of the cartridge is in contact with ridge 110 on pawl 100. Thus, cartridge stop 60 combines with finger 41 to position and retain the leading cartridge in axial alignment with the bore of barrel 16. As such barrel 16 is actuated rearwardly, the breech end thereof contacts link on the leading cartridge 34 and forces such link rearwardly out of engagement with the connector 56 on the link surrounding the adjacent cartridge. During the rearward movement thus imparted to link 50 on the leading cartridge 34, rectangular ear 54 on such link contacts the forward face of pawl 100 and continues rearwardly to compress cartridge stop 60 against the bias of plunger spring 94 into the position shown in FIG. 5 in which further rearward movement of stop 60 is halted when forward abutment thereof contacts vertical pin 82 fixed in housing 62.

During the interval in which feed lever 30 is moving outwardly to engage the next cartridge in the linked belt, the chambered cartridge is discharged by a conventional firing pin 114 actuated by mechanism more fully described in U.S. Patent No. 3,181,423. Barrel 16 is then actuated forwardly to free the fired cartridge case for transverse ejection movement in response to the feeding advance imparted to the next cartridge in the belt by feed lever 30-. This ejection movement of the fired cartridge pivots pawl about hinge pin 102 to depress plunger 86 against spring 94 until ridge on pawl 100 is disposed in the ejection path of rim 38 on the fired cartridge case as illustrated in FIG. 6. Thus, ridge 110 cams the fired case forwardly to impart the desired direction to the ejection path thereof from feedway 36. As the restraining influence of the fired cartridge case is removed, spring 94 urges plunger 86 forwardly to return stop surface 98 on pawl 100 into longitudinal alignment with stop surface 72 on cartridge stop 60'. At the same time, cartridge stop 60 is moved forwardly until rearward abutment 80 thereon contacts fixed pin 82 and is thereby positioned to halt the next leading cartridge in chamber alignment with barrel 16 during the subsequent cycle of gun operation.

Accordingly, the cartridge stop of this invention provides a positive means for sequentially halting each cartridge in a flexi bly linked belt in chambering alignment with the bore of the barrel without any subsequent interference with the required ejection of the fired cartridge stop definitely eliminates the former tendency of the leading cartridge to overfeed and thereby increases the overall reliability of the gun. Furthermore, inasmuch as the operational movements of the stop are confined to a longitudinal direction, the cartridge stopping function thereof is unaffected by the vibrations encountered in guns which are operated from the type of soft mounts utilized in light aircraft and helicopters. Since the stop and the pawl :hinged thereto function in direct response to the movements of the link and the cartridge encircled thereby and, furthermore, are self-aligning, no difiiculty is encountered as a result of above average tolerances for the various components of the entire feed mechanism. Any increase in tolerance is, of course, a feature which provides a substantial reduction in cost of manufacture.

We claimi 1. In an automatic gun having a receiver with a transverse feedway therethrough for the slidable passage of a linked belt of cartridges, a barrel slidably mounted in the receiver for reciprocal movement from and toward a battery position located at a predetermined distance from the rear endwall of the cartridge feedway, and feed mechanism for intermittently advancing the cartridge belt through the feedway in synchronism with the reciprocal movement of the barrel, the improvement of a cartridge belt stop member slidably mounted in the side of the receiver adjacent the exit end of the cartridge feedway therein, a vertical surface at the forward end of said slidable member disposed within the feedway, spring means normally urging said slidable member forwardly to position said vertical surface thereon in the transverse path of the rim on the leading cartridge in the belt, a pawl pivotally hinged to the forward end of said slidable member, a slidable plunger seated against the front end of said spring means for urging said pawl forwardly to position one side thereof in longitudinal alignment with said vertical surface on said slidable member whereby the front end of said pawl is disposed in the rearward path imparted to the link on the leading cartridge during the return of the barrel to battery position and thereby serves to force said slidable member to the rear to retract said vertical surface beyond the rear endwall of the cartridge feedway, and means for limiting the movement of said slidable member in either direction whereby, at the conclusion of rearward movement, said pawl is positioned in the transverse path of the rim on the leading cartridge to be pivoted outwardly thereby during the subsequent ejection thereof from the feedway in response to the continued feeding movement of the cartridge belt.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 including a ridge on the cartridge rim contacting surface of said pawl which, in the fully pivoted position of the latter, assists in controlling the direction of travel of the cartridge being ejected from the feedway.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said means for limiting the movement of said slidable memher in either direction comprises a pair of spaced vertical abutment surfaces on said slidable member, and a vertical pin fixed in the receiver in position to pass between said abutment surfaces.

4. In an automatic gun having a receiver with a transverse feedw-ay therethrough for the slidable passage of a linked belt of cartridges, a channel formed in the floor of the feedway adjacent the rear endwall thereof to slidably receive the annular rim at the base of each cartridge for guiding the linked belt through the feedway, a barrel slidably mounted in the receiver for reciprocal movement from and toward a battery position spaced from the forward wall of the feedway channel, and feed mechanism for intermittently advancing the cartridge belt through the feedway in synchronism with the reciprocal movement of the barrel, means for halting the leading cartridge in the belt in chambering alignment with the barrel, comprising a bifurcated longitudinal housing projecting from the side of the receiver containing the exit end of the cartridge feedway, a substantially rectangular cartridge stopping member slidably mounted in said housing and provided with a head portion at the forward end thereof including a vertical surface on the side facing the feedway and an in clined surface on the opposite side thereof, a pawl having bifurcated shoulders and an inclined surface therebetween, hinge means in said shoulders for pivotally s curing said pawl to said head portion on said slidable member with said respective inclined surfaces in opposing relation, a longitudinal plunger slidably mounted in said slidable member, a spring seated in said bifurcated housing for urging said plunger to bear against said inclined surface on said pawl whereby the latter is normally pivoted so that one side thereof is in longitudinal alignment with said vertical surface on said slidable member and said slidable member is simultaneously biased forwardly to position the front end of said pawl for contact by the link on the leading cartridge during the rearward movement imparted to the link by the return of the barrel to battery position, said slidable member being thereby arranged to be forced to the rear to retract said vertical surface beyond the rear endwall of the cartridge feedway in response to the corresponding movement imparted to said pawl, means for limiting the rearward movement of said slidable member to position said pawl in the transverse path of the rim on the leading cartridge so as to be pivoted outwardly into contact with said inclined surface on said slidable member during the subsequent feeding movement of the cartridge belt, and a triangular ridge extending vertically across said pawl adjacent the front end thereof for imparting forward movement to the cartridge being ejected from the feedway.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said inclined surfaces on said slidable member and said pawl are complementary.

6. The combination defined in claim 4 including a vertical finger slidably disposed in said channel in the floor of said feedway, and a flat spring secured at one end thereof to the underside of the receiver with the opposite end bearing against said finger to urge the latter upwardly for holding the leading cartridge against said vertical surface on said cartridge stopping member.

7. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein the upper and lower portions of said bifurcated housing include oppositely facing longitudinal T-slots and said slidable member is formed with corresponding T-rails on each side thereof slidably engagea'ble in said T-slots.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,747,546 2/1930 Janeck. 3,181,423 5/1965 Rocha 89l6l 3,182,555 5/1965 Rocha 89-33 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Prinmry Examiner.

S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC GUN HAVING A RECEIVER WITH A TRANSVERSE FEEDWAY THERETHROUGH FOR THE SLIDABLE PASSAGE OF A LINKED BELT OF CARTRIDGES, A BARREL SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE RECIEVER FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT FROM AND TOWARD A BATTERY POSITION LOCATED AT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM THE REAR ENDWALL OF THE CARTRIDGE FEEDWAY, AND FEED MECHANISM FOR INTERMITTENTLY ADVANCING THE CARTRIDGE BELT THROUGH THE FEEDWAY IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT OF THE BARREL, THE IMPROVEMENT OF A CARTRIDGE BELT STOP MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE SIDE OF THE RECEIVER ADJACENT THE EXIT END OF THE CARTRIDGE FEEDWAY THEREIN, A VERTICAL SURFACE AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID SLIDABLE MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN THE FEEDWAY, SPRING MEANS NORMALLY URGING SAID SLIDABLE MEMBER FORWARDLY TO POSITION SAID VERTICAL SURFACE THEREON IN THE TRANSVERSE PATH OF THE RIM ON THE LEADING CARTRIDGE IN THE BELT, A PAWL PIVOTALLY HINGED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID SLIDABLE MEMBER, A SLIDABLE PLUNGER SEATED AGAINST THE FRONT END OF SAID SPRING MEANS FOR URGING SAID PAWL FORWARDLY TO POSITION ONE SIDE THEREOF IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID VERTICAL SURFACE ON SAID SLIDABLE MEMBER WHEREBY THE FRONT END OF SAID PAWL IS DISPOSED IN THE REARWARD PATH IMPARTED TO THE LINK ON THE LEADING CARTRIDGE DURING THE RETURN OF THE BARREL TO BATTERY POSITION AND THEREBY SERVES TO FORCE SAID SLIDABLE MEMBER TO THE REAR TO RETRACT SAID VERTICAL SURFACE BEYOND THE REAR ENDWALL OF THE CARTRIDGE FEEDWAY, AND MEANS FOR LIMITING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDABLE MEMBER IN EITHER DIRECTION WHEREBY, AT THE CONCLUSION OF REARWARD MOVEMENT, SAID PAWL IS POSITIONED IN THE TRANSVERSE PATH OF THE RIM ON THE LEADING CARTRIDGE TO BE PIVOTED OUTWARDLY THEREBY DURING THE SUBSEQUENT EJECTION THEREOF FROM THE FEEDWAY IN RESPONSE TO THE CONTINUED FEEDING MOVEMENT OF THE CARTRIDGE BELT. 